Once upon a Shield
by AgentMaryMargaretSkitz
Summary: Every storybook character you've ever known is real, and has been cursed by an evil queen into our world. The only hope of breaking the curse is the Savior, sent away to the new land before the curse hit. 24 years later, Leo Fitz begins to see strange things after finding a book of fairytales. Now, he needs to find the Savior, and get her to believe in her destiny.
1. Prologue

**This is an idea I've had for a long time. It all kind of started during my hiatus woes with Agents of SHIELD and Once upon a time. But when the latter returned and I watched New York City Serenade, I thought "0-8-4" when we saw what Walsh really was. Then the gears began to turn as I recollected Emma had magic in her since she was the product of true love. That's when the idea hit me.**

"_**What if everyone in SHIELD and a couple other people who had connections to it were actually characters from the Enchanted Forest, and Skye was the Savior?"**_

**[I blame myself for going ahead with this now because I might have watched both The Avengers AND Mulan a few nights ago.]**

**If you're not familiar with the plot of the first season of Once, then it's fine. If you are, then you can guess where I'm going to take this. Most of you will be able to figure out who is who in the Enchanted Forest. The main ships in this are going to be Skitz, Philinda, and Biospecialist. I plan on telling the story through flashbacks to the Enchanted forest and current time. There will be some Once upon a time references, and I'll be happy if you find them!**

**THIS IS AN AU FIC TAKING PLACE AFTER 1X14! No HYDRA will happen.**

**Please read and review. Reviews are always amazing and make my day.**

* * *

Prologue

Nicholas ran into the room where Loki had been being held, feeling his heart sink. It matched the vision he had seen moments earlier as he worked to get the Helicarrier's systems back online. The Asgardian's cage was gone, there was a smoldering hole in the metal wall, and on the ground was Philip. He was getting paler by the moment, slowly sinking towards death.

"_No,"_ Nicholas told himself. _"Philip can't die. He needs to be kept alive. He still needs to complete his role in the breaking of the curse."_

"Sorry, boss," Philip whispered, his lips stained with blood. "The god rabbited."

"You're going to be fine. Just stay with me." Nicholas began to recite the incantation in his head. "Eyes on me."

The wounded man looked him in the eye, just as he needed to. He continued to babble a little more about the Avengers and how they needed something to bring them together before the spell took over. Nicholas exhaled as the tell-tale silver flash ran over Philip's eyes that indicated the immobilization spell had taken over. The medics came up behind him and lifted Philip onto a stretcher. "He's gone," one of them said as he checked for a pulse.

"_Not gone." _Nicolas thought "_Frozen."_

)(

Once the battle had been won, Nicholas went into his office and pulled out a small case from his desk drawer. Inside was a small syringe filled with colored liquid. It was the key to saving Philip's life. Thank goodness a lot of his stores had come with him to this land when the curse had hit, or he wouldn't have the Lumpra blood with him. The blue-skinned creatures had long been extinct in their old world due to their blood's healing abilities, but Nicholas had manage to preserve one of the last remaining ones in a state where he could use the creature's blood with the risk of decay.

The blood would be the first step to healing the immobilized man and bringing him away from death. Memories would need to be altered for many people, as no one would believe him if he told them the truth. Everyone who was going to be involved in Philip's (or Coulson as he went by here) "resurrection" would get a memory implanted of how they completed the action scientifically. But Philip would receive a second memory overlaying the first; one of vacation somewhere beautiful perhaps? If he didn't receive it, then the first memory would traumatize him too much.

It was vital that Philip was alive, as the time had finally come. It had been an agonizing twenty-four years since they first arrived on this world thanks to the queen's curse. She was still out there too, but he couldn't find her. She'd somehow removed her face from his memories, allowing her to gain the upper hand over him. Somewhere out there, she was waiting, preparing to strike. And she wouldn't stop until she finally succeeded in her quest to destroy them all.

* * *

_One day before events of "Pilot"_

"Just the cupcake?"

Skye shifted uncomfortably under the cashier's bored stare. What was wrong about buying a cupcake in the afternoon anyway? It wasn't a crime as far as she was concerned. But the college-age girl with the pink nose ring in front of her seemed to think it was by her tone. That or she was trying to call her fat. Either way, Skye didn't really feel like putting up with the girl's crap.

"Yeah," Skye flashed a smile at the girl. She didn't return it as she opened the bakery case and plucked out the cupcake Skye was pointing at. "It's kind of my birthday."

This made her look up with slight interest among the annoyance that Skye was beginning to think was a permanent part of her face. Silently, Skye cursed her big fat mouth at why she had just said this. She had no idea when her real birthday was, or even if she was ever given a real name. All Skye really knew about herself was that she'd been dropped off at St. Agnes Orphanage as a baby to grow up in the revolving door that was the foster system. Whoever had dropped her off left no information on her, so the nuns just set her birthday as the day she came into the orphanage and called her Mary Sue Poots, except for Sister McKenna. She had called her Skye as a nickname, which was a whole lot better that Mary Sue.

She'd dealt with the system for as long as she legally could, and had packed up her meager possessions the moment she turned eighteen to set out on her own. Her first months alone were spent living a hand-to-mouth existence by hacking for people who needed help, like a new identity or an erased account. Skye had picked it up shortly before she left the system to look for any information on her birth parents and how she'd gotten on the steps of St. Agnes. Eventually, it led her to Rising Tide, who shared her dislike of hiding the truth from people. They took her in, improved her skills, and even spilt the dough with her if they got paid for something they'd done. Riding Tide also had her on/off boyfriend Miles, depending whether or not they were residing in the same area.

"Kind of?" The cashier sneered at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I don't know what my real birthday is, okay!" Skye snapped at her. She didn't like to think that her birthday was supposed to be on the day that she had been abandoned to the nuns. Legally, it was going to be her birthday in three months. However, for some weird reason, today just felt like it was her birthday and she felt the need to celebrate it.

The girl's face suddenly dropped into an expression of pity as she realized what Skye had said. Skye swore at herself mentally, regretting her outburst. Whenever she told someone that she had grown up in the foster system, they would always give her a sympathetic look or tell her they were sorry. Once, it had been kind of nice, but now it was bland and useless. Pity didn't take away all those nights she cried herself to sleep because no one, probably including her parents, wanted her. Sorrowful looks couldn't take away memories of the really bad foster homes and parents. "I'm sorry" could never replace the longing to hear "I love you." from someone who truly cared about you and would never abandon you.

The cashier put the cupcake in a small box, which Skye took as soon as she paid and walked out of the café as fast as possible. She made her way down the street to the alley where her van was parked. It had been her first purchase with the money she gotten through Rising Tide. The van was way better than an apartment considering she could pack up at any time to move elsewhere and not have to worry about rental agreements and all sorts of other paperwork. However, Skye knew she couldn't live in there forever, and would need to figure out what she was going to do next. Rising Tide and Miles wouldn't last forever; she'd need something else.

Skye climbed in and open the box. The cupcake was chocolate and a bright red strawberry halve had been stuck into the white frosting on top. She pulled out a small candle with a blue star on it. She had long forgotten where she had gotten it, but that didn't matter right now. It was stuck into the icing and lit with the lighter she had in her pocket.

"Another year, and the search continues" Skye whispered as she stared at the candle, thinking about her wish. Until now, she'd always wished her parents would find her. But this year….

"_Please let us find each other."_ Skye thought as she closed her eyes and blew out the candle. When she opened them again, she reached for the little square that held the little information about her life. Maybe that one redacted document, the SHIELD one, could provide her more insight on her past. If she hacked into that faceless government organization and examined its archives, then perhaps she could find something on herself. Something that could bring her closer to her parents.

* * *

Although she didn't know it, the day Skye bought her cupcake was actually her birthday. Within a few days, her wish came began to come true when she was interrupted during her broadcast and fell into a world of spies and secrets. She didn't know that in a few months, her life was going to drastically change and a battle would soon come. Change was coming for all of SHIELD, and she was the cause of it. Skye had a destiny to bring light back into the darkness that people had lived in for twenty four years. It would be in one of the darker hours that she would discover her story.

It was a story that began many years ago, before her birth, in another land where the people she would come to know had once lived in happiness. Then one day, an evil queen cursed them, ripping the inhabitants away from their homes, everyone they loved, and their memories. The queen reveled in her triumph, and enjoyed the suffering of her enemies. But her victories, and her power, were threatened by the Savior. It was the Savior, daughter of two of her greatest enemies, who would return and defeat the queen, break the curse, and bring back the happy endings.

This is how Skye's story began.

_Once upon time, in a land far away, a curse was broken by true love..._


	2. A waking, a wedding, and a warning

_**I'm back now! I'm so sorry for that long wait you guys had to go through. Life getting hectic plus writer's block equals bad news. On the plus side though, I do a have a general timeline plotted out, so that's good. I'm currently working on the third chapter, and I'm trying to get a little ahead so I can stay a bit ahead if I get inspiration flashes for other stories.**_

_**This chapter is going to be a flashback to the Enchanted Forest before the Curse hits. If you have ever seen the pilot of Once Upon a Time, you can guess what's about to happen. The dialogue is going to be recognizable, but with a few changes. By the end of this chapter, you should be sure of the identities of a couple people. [Hopefully, you've all figured out Fury's counterpart!] If you think you know who is who, let me know since I'd like to know if it's easy enough to tell.**_

_**[ALSO, even though the name is different, it's still Prince Charming from Snow White tale. Once upon a time has the same name for him in both worlds, and I'm just going to go with it too. The decision on which princess to use was hard for reasons you all probably know, but I decided I was overanalyzing it all.]**_

_**Before I give you the next chapter, I'd like to know if you want to**_

_**A.) See all of the events that led up to the breaking of the curse first, and then skip to present day.**_

_**B.) Alternate between past and present events. **_

_**Option B would take some more time, but if you guys want it, then I can do. I always do what I can to please my readers.**_

_**Read and Review! I advise listening to the Once upon a Time Season 1 soundtrack, track 1 if you really want to get into it!**_

_**PS All typos are my fault (in the stars, haha!). Let me know if something's off.**_

Chapter 1: A waking, a wedding, and a warning

_Enchanted Forest, 25-26 years ago_

"Hi-yah," Prince Phillip urged his horse to go faster, even though they were already galloping quickly along the strip of road cutting through the forest. His mother's ring, enchanted for him by Nicholas after Phillip had done him a favor, was glowing even brighter than before, signifying he was getting closer to his true love. He needed to get to her and wake her from the curse that her step-mother had put her under.

In the clearing ahead of him, he saw a small group of people gathered around something. Upon reaching them, he leapt from his horse and ran over. He recognized Red, Hansel, and Hansel's sister Gretel among them, as well as the dwarves who'd taken her in a long time ago. One of them, Doc he believed, stepped forward. "You're too late," he lamented mournfully. The others moved out of the way to reveal a coffin constructed from a fallen tree with a glass lid. Inside laid his beloved.

"No," Phillip rushed forward. "No!" Through the glass, he could see her lovely face framed perfectly by her long black hair. She was so still, he actually wondered if she was really dead.

"_She's not dead, only cursed." _He reminded himself, and remembered what Nicholas had told him. _True love is the most powerful magic of all. Its power can break __any__ curse._

"Open it." Phillip commanded, hoping the Dark One was right about the power of true love. If he wasn't, and she didn't wake up, then he didn't know if he could live with himself.

"She's gone. There's nothing that you can do. I'm sorry," growled Grumpy, another one of the dwarves. His eyes were slightly red, and Phillip remembered how his true love had once given herself over to the king's soldiers so he could get away. She had been rescued later, but that was another story. What happened to her must have been hitting him especially hard.

"Please," he turned from his love to face the dwarf. "At least let me say good-bye."

Doc nodded, and the rest of the dwarves removed the lid of the casket, exposing her to the rest of the world. A gentle breeze blew a strand of hair across her tan face, which Phillip tucked behind her ear. He leaned down and kissed her cool lips, praying she would awaken.

A moment after the two's lips connected, a pulse of light and strong gust of wind flew out from their point of connection. Phillip broke away, fearing the worst when he saw she was still unmoving. Had he been too late? Was she really dead?

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she gasped. A smile broke out across his face as tears of happiness leaked out of his eyes. Snow White's breathing began to return to normal, and her gaze settled upon him, her cheeks once again rosy with life. He, her Prince "Charming", had awoken her with true love's kiss.

"You," she whispered lovingly, her hand reaching up to caress his cheek, "Charming, you found me."

Phillip chuckled. "Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked, helping her sit up, brushing fallen pine nettles from her elegant white dress that only magnified her stunning beauty. Snow always was beautiful, whether she wore a dress or breeches and a hunting coat.

"Truthfully," admitted the woman, "The glass coffin gave me a bit of pause."

"You will never have to worry about that ever again, Snow," Phillip promised, kissing her again, "Because no matter where you are, I will always find you."

"Do you promise?"

* * *

"I do."

Hearing him finally get to say those words to her filled Snow White's heart with happiness. Ever since she had first laid eyes him, Snow White had fallen in love with Phillip, even if he had been pursuing her for robbing him of his mother's jewels and selling them to a band of trolls. He'd caught up to her, fully aware that she was the exiled Princess Snow White, wanted for all sorts of false charges concocted by her step-mother. Together, they'd embarked on an adventure together and retrieved the jewels from the trolls, one of which was the silver ring with the pale blue stone set in it that she now wore on her ring finger. Even though they had gone their separate ways upon the end of the journey, neither of them could stop thinking of the other, and eventually their two individual paths crossed into one. Finally, they were getting married and preparing to embark on their next chapter in life together.

"And do you, Snow White?" the priest turned to her now, "Do you promise to take this man to be your husband and love him for all eternity."

"I do." She smiled at Phillip. At last, they were getting their happy ending.

The priest had barely pronounced them man and wife when the entire hall erupted into cheers and applause. All of their friends were clapping and whistling, even Grumpy joined in with a little persuasion from Doc. Snow saw Red smiling happily at her, and Hansel gave her a wink. Jiminy Cricket, nestled on Hansel's shoulder, appeared to be shouting something based on the way he was jumping up and down, but it was impossible to hear him over the din.

She and Phillip were finally married! Snow White could barely believe it. After so many years of on run from the Evil Queen and her wrath, she never thought she would truly find happiness. Then she found Phillip, and everything changed. Snow turned her attention back to her husband (she could finally call him that!) and the two moved close toward each other.

A loud bang announced the opening of the doors at the end of the hall, startling everyone. Snow White, Phillip, and the rest of their guests all turned to face the now-open doors. Standing in front of them was a woman wearing a jeweled black dress and a nasty smile. Gasps circled the hall as people recognized the evil queen, head held high as if she still owned all of them. Snow felt a shiver run down her spine, and grabbed Phillip's arm. Why, of all people, was _she_ here?

"Sorry I'm late, dear," her stepmother announced, smiling ruthlessly at the happy couple.

She began to walk down the aisle leading toward the alter, flinging guards who charged at her out of the way with a flick of her wrist. Red drew her dagger from the fold of her cloak, and Hansel raised his bow, knocked with an arrow, at the queen as she drew closer.

"The Queen!" he cried, "Your Majesties, run!" Hansel let the arrow fly, but the woman waved her hand. The arrow stopped inches from her heart and disintegrated into ash.

But Snow White would not run. Adrenaline surged through her body as she unsheathed Phillip's sword and held it out in front of them. She would not let this horrible witch threaten her ever again. She had killed her father, banished her from the palace where she grew up in, tried to break her and Phillip apart countless times, poisoned an apple, and many other horrible things with the final goal of destroying both of her and Phillip. Snow White had had enough.

"She's not a queen anymore," cried the bride, "Just nothing more than an evil witch."

"No," Phillip placed his hand over the one she held his sword with, lowering it. "Don't stoop to her level, Snow. There's no need to."

Her new husband turned to the evil queen, who had stopped at the base of the steps leading up to the alter. "You've already lost. This is a waste of your time," said Phillip as he slipped the blade from Snow's hand. "I refuse to let you ruin our wedding." He looked so intense right now, and it made Snow White's heart flutter at him being so brave.

She expected a fruitless attack on them and their guests, or at the very least a snarky comment. Instead, her stepmother smiled and started to laugh. She only laughed when she was planning something bad. Suddenly, Snow felt very afraid. She pressed tighter to Phillip, hoping the close proximity could calm her.

"Ruin this wedding?!" sneered the evil queen. "Oh, you couldn't be more wrong, my the contrary, in fact. I've come to give to a gift."

"We don't want it." Snow White gritted her teeth, The last 'gift' her stepmother had given her was that wretched apple.

"But you shall have it anyway," the woman snarled before she began to pace across the side of the alter slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, Snow saw Red pull her dagger out further. Catching the younger girl's eye, she shook her head and mouthed "No". The last thing she needed was for the queen to hurt another one of her friends.

"My gift to you," their enemy continued. "Is this wonderful, _happy_ day." Her face contorted into a sneer. "Because tomorrow, my real work shall begin."

Phillip exchanged a questioning glance with her. Neither of them knew what she was talking about.

"Soon, everything you love, everything _all_ of you love," she turned and pointed the now-frightened crowd here. "will be taken from you forever. I shall rise in victory, while the rest of you suffer for the rest of your living days."

"I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do."

With that, the evil queen turned and strode down the aisle, back toward the open doors. Snow White shivered, trying to think what the queen was planning. Next to her, Phillip clutched his sword tightly. His eyes were full of anger. "Hey!"

Snow watched as her stepmother turned around, surprised that anyone would be so bold. With a yell, Phillip launched his sword straight towards her. The queen cocked her head and laughed. Before the weapon could pierce her, the queen vanished in a wisp of smoke, taking Phillip's sword with her.

Gasps of horror rang out in the crowd instead of the expected clatter of Phillip's sword. Snow White, who had stepped aside when her husband had thrown his sword, now drew close again to him. His strong arms wrapped around him, and she felt his heart beating wildly against his chest. "It's okay," he soothed as she whimpered quietly, "They're only words. We're going to be okay."

Snow nodded and relaxed a little in her true love's embrace. They might be only words, but she would be haunted by the threat her step-mother had made to them and the entire kingdom for a long time.

* * *

Wisps of smoke appeared in the chambers of the exiled queen. The sword lodged in the wall as she formed unscathed beside it. Her lip curled a little at the thought of her almost being skewered by her disgusting stepdaughter's "Charming".

Sighing, she looked out of the window at the land below her. Though she still lived in the palace that she had when she first married the girl's father, it had become a gilded cage. The spoiled brat she had once spent years pursuing with the intention of killing her had risen up and defeated her in battle. The girl and the fool who was in love with her had enlisted the help of Nicholas to cast a spell that prevented her from ever harming them in this land again.

But if they went to another land, then defeat of the two would be so simple.

Finding the curse had been the loophole she needed to finally put an end to Snow White and Prince Charming. She had to prevent the possibility of her final destruction from ever existing. As long as those two idiots were together, then the possibility got greater every day. The sooner she could cast the curse, the safer she would be.

"Time to get to work." Queen Victoria said to herself as she unrolled the scroll containing the ingredients for the curse

* * *

_**I'm just going to say that I wrote this out when I still kinda hated Hand, but now I've gotten more respect for her. She's so fun to write for, whether it's an evil queen or a outspoken roommate. **_

_**Next chapter will talk more about the curse, and we get to see some kid cuteness between two people whose paths cross later in the future.**_

_**So, who knows who Prince Charming and Snow White **really** are? **_


	3. What's her name?

**So sorry I haven't updated, but the plot bunnies decided to declare war and the imp gave them a bit of help when I was trying to write out the next Enchanted Forest chapter. And this has been sitting in Word forever with me being lazy. I'm sorry guys.**

**Congratulations to guests **_**SARA, the second GUEST reviewer for this chapter,**_** and **_**UNKNOWN CUPCAKE**_** for guessing the correct identities of Snow White and Prince Charming/Phillip. And **_**SARA**_**, it was a really hard decision between using Snow White, Aurora, or Mulan.**

**So this chapter is going to be taking place in the Enchanted Forest a couple of months after the wedding between Snow and Phillip. You get some adorable kid cuteness from two characters you'll hopefully recognize, and learn more about the curse. The curse in this version varies so everything will actually make sense. Hopefully, you'll all be able to understand it when I publish the first present day chapter, which might be next since next week is Leo Fitz week or something and I would like to contribute a nice healthy chapter for our believer.**

**I own nothing from Marvel, Agents of SHIELD, or Once upon a time. I do own a Captain America shield though.**

Chapter 2: What's her name?

"_Tell me-what's her name?"_-Rumplestiltskin

_Enchanted Forest_

Snow White stood against the doorframe leading out to the balcony, looking out at the view. Down below in the gardens, the children of the palace residents were running about, playing a game of tag. She smiled as she remembered the happy days of her childhood, when her mother was still alive and everything was happy. Those were good days, and it was sad to remember them.

A bluebird fluttered down onto the railing of the balcony. Snow gently laid her hand with the palm facing upward beside the bird, who hopped into her hand. Slowly, she brought the winged creature closer, using her other hand to stroke its feathers lightly. She had always had a special touch with animals ever since she escaped into the wilderness after her stepmother's huntsman chose not to kill her.

When she'd first been on the run from Victoria's wrath, Snow White had survived on the berries that she knew were safe to eat, along with the occasional theft from a village f she was truly desperate. A month after she first set off, Snow had come across an injured fairy stuck in a trap, and freed her. With some supplies that she had stolen from an apothecary, she had helped treat the fairy's wounds ad nursed her back to health. The fairy had been grateful for Snow White's kindness, and they formed a close friendship with each other that turned into a blessing for the exiled princess. She learned more knowledge of the forest and woodlands and how to interact with the creatures that lived there from the fairy as they migrated from place to place to escape Victoria's guards. She even became acquainted with the fairy kingdom, an event that later proved helpful when she and Phillip were battling to take back the kingdom.

But then half a year after Snow White had saved her life, the fairy sacrificed hers to the evil queen's guards in order to let Snow escape. It was a sacrifice that Snow had never forgotten. After seeing someone die just so she could have a little more time to keep running, she had wondered if she would ever get a happy ending like the people in her mother's stories would get. But now, she had Phillip, and they were finally able to live a happy life together without having his wicked uncle (the king) or her stepmother or someone else trying to tear them apart. Everything was peaceful, but how long could that peace last? Her step-mother's threat was still on her mind after all those months ago. If what she had said was true, then there was so much at stake for her to lose.

"_Especially now."_ Snow thought as she felt a little movement inside of her. She released the bluebird and placed her hand on her swollen belly. Finding out that she and Phillip were going to be parents had to be one of the best moments of Snow's life. Her poor husband had practically fainted from excitement when she first found out, and he had been as eager as she had for the birth of the child. But as her pregnancy wore on, Snow's fears for the future grew along with her child. No matter how many times Phillip had tried to reassure her, it never completely left her mind.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her turn around. Phillip was standing there in the entryway to their child's nursery. Snow White looked at him and smiled, hoping she could convince him that everything was fine and that she hadn't been fretting again. "Hey."

His blue eyes clouded with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"Is this about the queen again?"

Snow White sighed and ducked her head, feeling slightly ashamed that she had been caught in the lie. Phillip came up beside her. "Snow, please," he murmured, taking her hands in his own. "I can't keep having this conversation with you. You have to let it go." An excited grin stretched across his face as he gestured to the nursery. "We're about to have a baby, sweetheart."

Snow pulled her hands out of Phillip's and walked back inside. "I know, I know," she grumbled as she walked over to the crib, gazing about the nursery. The cream colored walls were dappled with colorful light from the stained glass panels at the top of the windows. A beautiful wardrobe was in one corner of the room, and Snow White had secretly been filling it with clothes for her unborn child. She wasn't worried about getting the wrong kind of clothes, as she had a feeling that of what the sex of her baby was. Still, it would be fun for Phillip to be surprised, so she kept it quiet. Her eyes drifted up to the mobile of glass blown unicorns that hung above the crib. "But I just can't stop thinking about what she said to us, and what it could possibly mean. It scares me."

"That's all she wants," her husband said as he strode over to her. "But they are only words, Snow. Victoria can't hurt us."

Snow glared angrily at him. "She _poisoned _an apple to keep us apart," she snapped. Suddenly she just felt so frustrated that he didn't seem to understand how worrisome their situation could be. "You have absolutely no idea of what she can do, of what I've seen her do!"

The faces of all the people she'd lost to her stepmother's wrath flashed in front of her eyes. The frustration evaporated, and she felt incredibly vulnerable and fragile. It terrified her to think about the consequences that Victoria's threat might have for her unborn child. "I'm scared Phillip," Snow confessed, cradling her stomach while trying not to cry.

Her husband's arms wrapped around her instantly, and she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. _"Damn hormones!" _she thought to herself. Her emotions had been all over the place during her pregnancy. When she first found out, Snow White tried to keep them in check, but somehow it just made it worse. It had culminated to a violent outburst direct toward an arguing Red and Hansel.

"I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," she blubbered after she'd calmed down a little.

"It's okay Snow. We're going to be fine," soothed Phillip. "But I think that you need to hear more assurance about this. Is there anything that I can do to ease your mind?"

Snow White paused for a minute and began to think. There were some things that could help, but they would provide her temporary relief. However, there was one option that could provide her with answers once and for all. Phillip wouldn't like it though.

"Let me talk to him," Snow said, looking Phillip dead in the eye.

He went rigid when he realized who she meant. "Him? Snow, donlt tell me you mean-"

Snow cut him off. "Actually, I do. Phillip, he can _see _the future."

"He's in that cell for a reason. He is dangerous to others, and I can't risk it."

"Can you be certain that everything is going to be alright?" Snow asked angrily. ""Can you guarantee that our child will be safe, Phillip? Because he can."

Phillip pursed his lips. Snow looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Charming," she murmured, using the nickname she'd given him when they first met and he'd captured her in a trap. The nickname, once a term used to mock, was now a tender endearment for him.

"All right," he sighed. "For our child, Snow. I'll go tell the guards what we're going to do."

Snow watched her husband, her Charming, exit the room to go and find the guards. A strong series of kicks came from her midsection. She wrapped her hands around her belly and smiled happily to herself. "Don't worry sweetie," she whispered to her bump. "Mommy and Daddy are going to make sure everything's okay for you so you can be safe from the queen."

A couple quick kicks was the response that she received, as though her child understood what she was saying.

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine," Snow said more quietly to herself, hoping that she could actually convince herself too.

* * *

"C'mon Lee," whined Grant, running around his older brother, waving two wooden swords around in the air. "One more battle. Mama won't let Xander, and Lizzie don't want to play. Pwease?"

"No, Grant." Lee bent down next to his six-year old brother, adjusting his tunic that he trained in. "I'll play when I get back, but I gotta go to training. You want me to be a knight like Papa, right." Grant nodded. "Then let me go, and I'll play when I get back." Lee promised, smiling at the little boy in front of him.

Grant pouted and crossed his arms. "But I'm gonna get boooooooored."

Lee sighed. "Why don't you go and play with the other kids? When I get done, I'll find you and then we can play. Okay?"

The little boy thought for a minute, then smiled. "Okay."

Ten minutes later, Grant was running through the maze-like gardens of the palace, looking for a place to hide. The other children had decided they wanted to play tag, a game that Grant liked to play. Currently, he was hiding by a small stone ledge of a large island-like plot, hidden from sight by the long leaves of one of the plants growing out from the garden above. His strategy in this game was to hide from the other kids, which was paying off as all of them just ran by him without seeing him. It had been fun for a while, but now Grant was bored of it and wanted someone to find him. He wished Lee would get done soon so they could play knights.

A small grunt sounded nearby, and Grant stuck his head out from behind the fronds to find where it was. A few meters away from his hiding spot, the culprit was pulling themselves up on a ledge, looking at a plant with beautiful yellow and orange flowers. It was a little girl who looked to be maybe two or three years old. Her curly brown hair was partly escaping from the ribbon it was tied up in. The hem of her dark blue dress was spotted with mud, and there were small muddy handprints on the ledge where she's been climbing. She wobbled a little bit as she stood up on the ledge, but soon steadied herself and began to look at the flower.

Grant was so focused on her that he didn't hear the pounding of footfalls approaching until a little curly haired boy ran by screaming as Antione, the only other boy Grant's age who lived inside the castle, chased him. Neither boy noticed Grant or the little girl as they passed through so quickly. However, the boy's scream had startled the girl, causing her to stumble backward. Her foot caught on the hem of her dress and her arms flailed wildly in an attempt to keep her balance. Grant was already running out of his spot when she tumbled backward with a sharp cry. He stumbled forward to her, holding out his small arms to try and catch her so she wouldn't be hurt. It was what Lee and Papa said knights did when a lady fell, and Grant wanted to be just like them.

The little girl ended up landing more on top of him than in his arms, and they feel flat on the ground.

"You okay?" asked Grant as he helped her up.

The little girl looked up at him with a bright and cheery smile. Up close, she was very cute looking with a few freckles on her nose and bright brown eyes.

"Yep," giggled the little girl, clumsily brushing dust from her skirt. "You save me."

Grant blushed. He felt like the heroic prince in the stories that Lizzie liked to have Mama tell them at bedtime. "I'm Grant." He smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Jemma," said the girl. "I like you. You save me."

Twenty-four years later, he would save her again, though neither of them would remember the first time.

* * *

Snow White and Phillip were being escorted toward the cell of their prisoner deep in the dungeons of the castle. One of the guards had detached himself form duty to take the king and queen to see the Dark One, and seemed quite cautious about going there. He had good reason, for the prisoner had once been (and still was) an incredibly powerful sorcerer. The entire kingdom had breathed easier since his capture for using magic for malevolent purposes.

"When we reach the cell, keep these on at all times," the guard instructed the couple, passing them two dark brown cloaks. "Stay out of the light too. Do not let him see you, and absolutely under no circumstances should you tell him your names. If he knows your name, then he has power over you. You can't let that happen, Your Majesties."

Phillip looked over at his wife. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, concerned. "Snow, if you don't want to, then we don't have too."

Snow White nodded as she tugged on her cloak. "Yes." She wanted to know what needed to be done to keep her baby safe. But the prospect of hearing something terrible was almost enough to make her give up her quest for answers. Almost. "I can do it," she told him quietly, slipping her hand into his own as they approached the cell.

"NICHOLAS!" the guard bellowed out. "I have a question for you, Dark One."

A nasty chuckle rang out from inside of the cell. The couple watched as the Dark One's figure appeared in the light of the torches as he stepped closer to the bars. Snow White shuddered at the sight of the black eye patch with that brought out the horrible claw-like scratches on his skin.

"No, you don't," chuckled the prisoner, his remaining eye resting on Phillip and Snow. A wicked smile crossed over his dark features. "They do, though. Snow White and Prince Charming. What honor it is to have the king and queen visit me. Or are you finally going to let me out?"

"Not a chance in hell," Phillip snarled. "After what you tried to do to that poor woman, you're going to be in here for a long time."

"Charming!" Snow elbowed him, and then clapped her hands over her mouth. But Nicholas already knew who they were, there was no hiding it.

Nicholas simply gave a small chuckle and shook his head. One of the things Snow White disliked most about the sorcerer was his ability to brush off thing that could cause great trouble as though they were nothing. Maybe the Queen's threat could strike some sense into him.

"Please, come into the light," he drawled, beckoning them closer. "And take off those foolish cloaks. I'm feeling a bit insulted."

Phillip and Snow obeyed, stepping closer and pulling off the hoods of their cloaks. Snow White looked at her husband and gave a tiny nod. Phillip nodded back, and shooed away the guard.

"We're here to-"

"I know why you're here." Nicholas snapped. "Your wife is worried about the Queen's threat. You, Phillip, are trying to give her false hope that it's not going to happen, but she wants more."

"It's going to happen?" Snow felt like the ground was about ready to drop out from underneath her. "What-what is she going to do? Tell us!"

"Oh-ho, demanding now, are we?" teased the Dark One, earning him a dirty glare form the pregnant woman. "Well, I could tell you all I know…..for a price."

"What do you want? Freedom?" Phillip clearly didn't like the idea of letting the most dangerous man in all the realms run loose, but the safety of his son or daughter depended on his information.

"Freedom? Tempting, but not what I'm wanting." Nicholas flashed another nasty smile at them "I think I'd much rather prefer, oh, the name of your unborn child."

"Absolutely no-"

"Done," Snow White cut off her husband and stepped closer to the bars. "Now what do you know?"

The sorcerer leaned his head against the bars of the cell. "The Queen has created a powerful curse, and it's arrival is coming. When it takes hold, everyone, and everything in this land will be sucked up, and placed in a prison, just like I am right now. But our prisons will be much different, much worse than this. We'll be stripped of our memories, of everyone we love, and thrust into a new land. There we'll suffer as time goes on, and on, never knowing who we really are. While all this goes on, as we wither away and die, the Queen and whoever she chooses to follow her will remain young and rejoice in their victory for eternity." Nicholas gave them a look that could constitute for pity. "No more happy endings."

"Can we stop it?" Phillip asked, a slight hint of desperation in his voice. "Can we do something, anything about it?"

"We can't do anything, Princey."

Snow White took a deep breath. "Is there anyone who can?"

"The little babe that grows inside your belly," Nicholas pointed to her stomach. "That child of yours is our only hope. If you get the child to safety, away from here before the curse strikes, then on her…" he squeezed his eye shut for a moment in concentration. "Her twenty-fourth birthday the child will return. The child will find you."

"And the final battle will begin!" he shouted before bursting into sadistic laughter.

"That's it. We're leaving." Phillip tugged at Snow White's arm to guide her down the hall out of the dungeons.

"Oh no, you don't!" the Dark One waggled his finger back and forth. "I still need a name, dearie. We made a deal."

"We won't give it to you!" Phillip cried. "You can't make us."

"You're right," mused Nicholas. "But I can make the curse worse. This cell might restrict my magic, but I have my ways of making sure that the curse can NEVER be broken."

Snow White gasped in shock, and Phillip turned pale. Nicholas smiled to himself. "So, what's her name?"

"Her?" Phillip looked at Snow in puzzlement. "It's a boy, right?"

Snow white shook her head and turned to face the dark wizard. He was right, and she knew it. "She'll break the curse. She'll find us?" She wanted to know before she would hand over her little girl's name. Especially since the name that she'd given her daughter was very special. A name that was meant to honor someone who had stayed by her side while she ran away from Victoria, and died so that she could live.

"She will," Nicholas confirmed. "Now, what's her name, Snow White?"

Snow held up her head, swallowing her fear. Her tanned skin almost glowed in the light of the torches.

"Skye," she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "Her name is Skye."

**Dun dun dun! Now I'll bet everyone knows for sure who Snow White is.**

**If you're confused over why Grant's big brother is nice, you'll soon find out what happened to him.**

**Please review and tell me your thoughts!**


	4. The Plan

**Well, at this current moment I have 19 people following this, which is pretty amazing! This was a totally out of the box idea that I never thought would be this popular, but the fact that people are reading and reviewing this is making me so happy. Thank you all for your support, because there's a lot of times when I really doubt my writing and worry that everyone will hate it.**

**This will be the last of the flashback chapters for now, and in the future I plan to italicize them. In this chapter, I'm introducing another future agent who is going to have the most important role in this story next to Skye. Writing them in the way I have in this chapter was oh so much fun, and now I want to do a Biospecialist drabble with them like this.**

**Speaking of the ship that's made me cry the most with Skitz during everything, do you guys want a little fluff in the future for Grant and Jemma? (Or as I like to call them in this, Gremma!)**

* * *

Chapter 3: A Plan

"_The future is written"-Snow White_

"_No. I refuse to believe that. Good just can't lose."-Prince Charming_

_Enchanted Forest_

"I say we stand and we fight," Hansel declared, standing up. His right hand was gripping his bow tightly. "There's the chance that we can stop her before the curse is cast."

Phillip looked at the young man and sighed. It had been two days after he and Snow had left Nicholas's dungeon and tried to brainstorm of ideas that could keep Skye safe. When they had come up with nothing, they'd decided to expand their field of search by calling their closest friends into the war room. He'd told them all everything Nicholas had told him and Snow, and asked them if they had any ideas. So far, they'd been going back and forth for an hour with no progress.

"We can't stop it, Hansel," Phillip said to the youth. Nicholas was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them. He did tell the truth as it was. If he said that Victoria was planning to cast a curse that would sweep them away from everything they knew and loved, then it was going to happen. The only option now was to figure out how they could get Skye to safety before the curse hit. "Nicholas said that it's going to happen."

Hansel jutted his chin out. "We should at least try."

"No, Phillip is right," Jiminy Cricket piped up from the center of the table, where a large magnifying glass enlarged his profile. "Fighting will not solve anything. Giving into one's dark urges never accomplishes anything."

"And how many wars has that conscience of yours won? I'm thinking proactive here!" Hansel spat angrily as Gretel and Red wrestled him back down into his seat.

"Calm down, Hansel," Gretel soothed her younger brother as Red gave his hand a squeeze.

The boy's face relaxed and his tone softened into one of worry. "Look, we don't know what's going to be coming in this new world. What if there is nothing to protect us? We'd be on our own, just sitting ducks for the queen to pick off."

"Why are we even arguing about what we could do?!" Snow cried out in exasperation. "There's nothing that can stop this. It's hopeless."

Phillip turned and looked over at his wife in surprise. Ever since they'd left the dungeon, Snow White had been almost completely silent, speaking only when he'd asked her a question. He'd caught her crying a few times, and knew she was struggling with all the stress recent events had placed on her. Snow was a strong woman, but even the strongest had their breaking points.

"Hey." Phillip knelt down next to Snow, whose hands were resting on her stomach. He took one of them in his own, and she looked over at him with sad eyes. "Don't lose hope. We must have faith. Nicholas said she'll be the Savior, and I believe she will."

Phillip gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and Snow smiled for the first time in days.

"So we need to find a way to protect your daughter?" Red asked, and Snow nodded. "Well, anyone have an idea?"

The room fell silent with everyone looking around to see if someone would speak up. No one did.

"There is something."

A tinkling sound permeated the air as a blue object flew through the open window. All eyes were on the Blue Fairy as she hovered in the center of the table. Phillip saw Snow smile at the queen of the fairies, and remembered how she had been close friends with Snow's mother. Snow had also come to know Blue when Skye (the fairy) had brought her to the kingdom and introduced her to the queen, who happened to be the elder sister of Skye. Phillip had met Blue more recently, when they were battling to take back the kingdom.

"Hello, Blue," Snow greeted politely.

"Snow, Phillip," Blue nodded at them.

"Do you know a way to get her to safety?" Phillip asked, riding from Snow's side, though he still held her hand.

The fairy queen nodded and brushed aside a stray lock of dark brown hair. She waved her wand, and a sparkling image of a tree formed above her. "There is a tree," she began.

"A tree?!" Hansel interrupted. "Let's get back to talking about fight-" Red jabbed him hard with her elbow. Turning crimson, the ashamed boy ducked his head and muttered a quick apology. Everyone turned back to Blue.

"This tree is enchanted, and unfortunately, the last of its kind," the queen continued. "If fashioned into a vessel, then those who are inside of it will be transported away from here. It will take them to the new land, where they'll be safe from the curse. This is our solution. If we use it, then I can assure you, Snow White, your child will be safe."

Snow's smile stretched wider, and Phillip grinned at her as her eyes light up with hope. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"However…" Blue hadn't finished. Her face and voice were now solemn. "All power has its limits, and this is no different. The tree has only enough magic for one."

Phillip felt his wife's hand slip out of his grasp as the meaning of Blue's words dawned on him. He pressed his lips tightly together as the pieces feel into place. Snow was still pregnant, and if the tree was crafted into the vessel in enough time, then she could get away to safety with Skye before she was born. But he would be separated from his true love and their child for twenty-four years. He would miss out on their lives. He wouldn't get to see his baby girl grow up.

But he had a duty as a husband and as a father to keep them safe. Phillip was willing do do whatever it took to keep the ones he loved safe. If that tree could protect them, then twenty-four years was a small price to pay.

He turned toward Snow again, but her chair was empty. Hansel, noticing his worried expression, pointed to the door, which was slowly swinging shut.

* * *

Snow White hurried down the halls in an awkward run/walk, trying to hold herself together. She couldn't even bear to think about what Blue had said. If she went in that tree, then she wouldn't see Phillip for twenty four years. She didn't think she had the strength to raise Skye on her own without Phillip there by her side. She wasn't strong enough to do it. She couldn't do it alone.

As she rounded the corner, a sharp squeal sounded out as something ran into her skirts and bounced off. She bent down, which wasn't an easy feat, to see what had collided with her. A small smile inched its way on her face when she saw it was a little boy. He looked to be about two or three, with a mop of dark blond curls and eyes that were the same shade of blue as the lake that bordered the palace grounds. When he looked up at her, he grinned.

"Hi!" he chirped happily, and Snow felt her smile grow even bigger.

"Are you all right?" she asked as she helped him to his feet. He probably was fine, but her motherly instincts had really begun to kick in more recently .

He nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh."

"I'm glad to hear that," Snow said, smiling a little more.

"My name's Leo!" The toddler announced, beaming at her. For a child so young and so small, his speech was quite developed to that of a four year old's. "What's your name?"

"Snow White."

Leo blinked once before letting out a happy giggle. "That's pwetty."

"Thank you, Leo," Snow White felt herself blush a bit. "What are you doing over here?" She asked gently. "Where are the other children?"

The little boy's brow furrowed, and he looked at the floor. "I dunno. I wuz pwaying tag w'th Jemmy 'nd Grantie 'nd Annie 'nd I wuz runnin' cause Jemmy wuz it 'nd I-I-I"

"You got lost?" Snow finished.

Leo nodded. "I dunno where they are."

In the short time that she had come to know him, Snow White already liked Leo a lot. He was so friendly and sweet, and she really wanted to help him find his friends. "Would you like me to take you back to the other children?" she asked softly.

The smile returned to his face. "Yes, pwease!" he squealed. "Thank you!"

Grasping the side of the wall, Snow hoisted herself up to a standing position. When she was at her full height, Leo noticed the swell of her belly. The little boy's eyes widened like saucers. "are you fat?"

Snow burst into laughter at his question. For the past few months, she'd constantly been asking Phillip and everyone around her that exact question. Every time she asked it, she always was told that she wasn't, but she still felt fat. Now, a toddler was asking her this, and she couldn't contain her amusement. But he was giving her a puzzled expression, so Snow thought it best to explain her situation to Leo.

"Yes, I sort of am fat," Snow admitted as they walked down the hall. When they found a bench, they sat down on it together. "But it's because I'm going to have a baby. A baby princess."

"A baby pwincess," Leo repeated, his mouth forming an 'o' shape in amazement.

"Mm-hm"

"How'd she get in?" he asked innocently.

"Er, magic," Snow said weakly. It was the first thing she could think of to say.

"How's she gonna get out?"

Another awkward question. "Magic," Snow said again.

"Oh, okay." Leo smiled, then began to swing his little legs back and forth. "What's her name?"

Snow sighed in relief at the easiness of the question. "Her name is Skye."

"That's a pwetty name too!" exclaimed Leo happily, bouncing up and down on the bench. "Can I meet her?"

Snow White swallowed the lump in her throat. She began to think about Blue's proposal again and what it meant. If she went into that tree, then she and Skye would be safe. Phillip would insist she take it for…fort their child. That's why they had gone to Nicholas in the first place. To see if Skye would be safe. The tree was the way to keep Skye safe in the new world, and she would do anything to keep her safe. They would search the new world together to find Phillip so Skye could grow up with her father and mother. She and Phillip always said they would find each other, and Snow knew she would always find him. You couldn't keep true love apart.

Her hope in using the tree began to grow. After Leo was back with the other children, then she would go tell Phillip that she wanted to do it. She would go to the new world through the tree, and she would find him. Just like he had found her and broken the sleeping curse. She had faith in their love.

"I don't know, Leo," she said to the boy next to her. "You see, she and I are going to have to go away for a long time to keep her safe. Maybe one day, you two can meet."

"Weally?" Leo's eyes danced with excitement, and he leaned toward her bump.

"Hi Pwincess Skye," he whispered. "My name's Leo. I dunno if you know this, but your momma's weally nice. You're gonna like her a lot. But she says you hafta leave to be safe. That makes me sad, 'cause I weally wanna meet you. But she also says that I could meet you again one day. I'm gonna pwotect you from all the bad people, pwincess. I pwomise I will. I'll always pwotect you, Pwincess Skye."

Skye began to kick as soon as he finished speaking. Leo's tender speech, added with her hormones and daughter's reaction, made Snow White burst into tears. She threw her arms around Leo and pulled him close into a hug. "Arwe you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Snow nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'm fine Leo," she reassured. "Skye really liked what you said. When you meet her someday, she's going to like you a lot. And it's because you are such a kind and sweet boy, Leo. Please, stay like that. Okay?"

Leo nodded. "Oh-kay."

Snow stood up, and helped him off the bench. "Now let's go find you friends. I'm sure they've missed you."

* * *

"Charming!"

Phillip heard the shout barely a second before his wife tumbled into his arms. He'd been wandering throughout the halls to try and find her, but to no avail.

"Snow." He smiled when he saw that she was smiling bright and cheerily in spite of her red rimmed eyes. "Are you okay? You disappeared after Blue came, and I was getting worried…"

"I'm fine," she said before her expression went serious. "Charming we have to do it."

"Do you mean the tree?" Snow nodded. "Are you sure?"

She nodded again. "I was afraid to use it earlier because I was being selfish. I wasn't thinking about Skye's safety; I was thinking how I couldn't raise her alone. But then I remembered why went to Nicholas in the first place, because it was-"

"For our child," He finished, then looked at her beautiful brown eyes. "Snow, I want you two to be safe. My two girls are my top priority right now."

Tears sprung into her eyes, and he wiped them away. "I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "I'll look for you. We'll find you in the new world, I promise we will."

Phillip smiled. "I love you too," he replied, kissing her again. "You're going to be a fantastic mother."

* * *

It took twenty-four years for the family to truly find each other again. However, they didn't know it yet. No one who suffered under the curse knew it.

Until one day, two months after Snow White and Prince Charming almost lost their child to one of Victoria's men, when a book was found by the one person who had something others lacked.

Belief.

* * *

**That last part is just me being over dramatic. There are a few more characters to play the guessing game with (Red, Hansel, Jiminy, and Blue). Just to let you all know to make future ones easier, there will be Avengers involvement, except for Thor. Asgard exists on its own, but Loki might crop up in a possible flashback.**

**[In the Once upon a time world, Snow never ran away from the meeting, at least that's what we saw. I dunno what she did afterwards though.]**

**Please review. I want to know what you guys think of this latest installment! Do you guys like little Leo? (He's so flipping cute in my brain!)**


	5. The Book in the Desk

**It's time for the first present day chapter, and I'm pretty excited about it. When I first thought of this idea, the discovery of the book was the first scene I pictured. Then everything just built up from there.**

**There are two people who I hope you guys can get in the beginning flashback, and references to three more. There's a third person with their group whose real identity isn't going to be revealed until much later. (To the friendly neighborhood fangirl- You got everything right, except Hand is the evil queen)**

**Quick bit of news here- I'm thinking about dropping Grant and Jemma into Starling City in a future story, but I'll see if I can get more off that idea after I catch up on the second season of Arrow.**

**Also, Oncers might be pleased to learn that I'm bringing in a Huntsman!**

**And a friendly reminder, this is an alternate universe AFTER 1x14. Which means THERE'S NO HYDRA, and Grant is not bad and the 17****th**** episode never happened! (cheering from the Biospecialist/Skitz life raft that I'm pretty sure us shippers are in right now)**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Book in the Desk

"_That a good book?" _

"_This? It's more than just a book."_

_Enchanted Forest, 25 years ago_

"_Snow?" A knock sounded on the door to the nursery. "Phillip?"_

_The couple turned from where they were watching Gepetto and his carpenters work to construct a wardrobe out of the enchanted tree Blue had told them about. It was sad for them to look around the nursery and know that it would never be used, especially for Snow. Skye would never get to spend one night, take her first steps, say her first words, or prepare for her first ball in here. Still, the wardrobe would keep Snow White and Skye safe, and that was much more preferable to have than the use of the beautiful nursery._

_Red, Hansel, and Gretel stood at the door, smiling. Gretel was holding something behind her back. Hansel was looking over at Red shyly, while Gretel rolled her eyes at her younger brother. The trio had been found by Snow, but had formed long before they met with the formerly exiled princess. Now, Hansel and Red were beginning to develop feelings for each other, feelings Snow knew usually lead to true love._

"_Um, hi," Red began. She preferred to go by Red instead of her given name, Merida, due to her bright red hair and scarlet cloak. The cloak allowed Red warmth, and also protection during the full moon. Snow didn't know the full details, but had surmised that she had been bitten by a wolf during an attack on her village that killed her parents. That bite was responsible for Red being able to shift into the form of a wolf during the full moon. The cloak was enchanted, and kept her in human form during this time. But she hadn't always had it, and had been responsible for multiple deaths in her uncontrolled wolf form, or at least until she figured out how to control the wolf inside her. _

_Gretel pulled a square package wrapped in brown paper out from behind her back and handed it to Snow and Phillip. She and her brother had been on the run after escaping a witch's house. The same witch who had killed their father and luring the two into her house with the intent of making them her next meal. After killing her, they'd lived in the woods and fended for themselves, much like Snow had when she was younger. The brother and sister learned to fight, and kill, evil witches and other nasty creatures that terrorized towns. Both could wield multiple weapons with great skill, but each had their own preferred weapon of choice. Gretel favored a pair of long, sharp daggers to fight with. Hansel, on the other hand, was most comfortable with the bow and arrow, and had spectacular aim. _

_The two had found Red hiding in the woods after she had escaped her village due to the guilt of slaughtering so many people in her life. They'd taken care of her, gotten her the enchanted cloak that kept her human during the full moon, and given her a home. In return, Red had assisted Hansel and Gretel in taking down their adversaries, and was able to keep them out of danger due to her heightened senses._

_Snow White had discovered the trio during her banditry days, and made sure that if she ever raided a place, she always brought something to them. They'd done the same for her, and more. When Victoria's guards came too close for comfort, one of them would always manage to send them off in another direction._

"_We've got a gift for you," Hansel explained, gesturing toward the package in Snow's hands._

_Phillip looked at the three. "Can we open it?"_

_Gretel and Red nodded eagerly. "Of course."_

_Snow White ripped the paper away and gasped. "Oh!"_

_Underneath the paper was a book. Snow ran her hand over the leather-bound cover, feeling the indentations where the gold-gilt words __**Once Upon A Time**__ were displayed spectacularly across the front. _

"_They're stories about us," Red said as the couple opened the book and began to flip through the pages. Every other page was decorated with an elegant, colorful illustration. "We got together and collected stories and combined them all together in this book. _

"_We thought you could take it to the new world," Gretel continued as they stopped on a page showing Phillip waking up Snow from the sleeping curse. "So that maybe, you could read it to Skye as she grows up. She could know about her heritage, and our stories."_

"_Who drew the pictures?" Phillip asked abruptly. "They're incredible."_

"_Sir Steven," Red answered a bit smugly. "The blond knight who forms that little trio with Sir Anthony and Sir Robert. He likes to draw, and he wanted to help."_

"_And the Blue Fairy enchanted this too," Hansel added excitedly. "You can add stories to it. All you need to do is think about it while holding the book and it'll be added to the pages, along with illustrations like Steven's. And it'll keep telling the story if it isn't completed yet."_

_Snow turned the pages forward. On the last page, there was writing on it, and also a picture of her sitting on the bench in the hallway beside Leo. She smiled to herself as she thought about the little boy, who she'd had encounters with more often in the past few months. His father was one of the master carpenters who assisted Gepetto in the building of the wardrobe, and Leo often came to visit his father while he worked. Sometimes, he brought his friends. There was a little girl named Jemma, and her best friend Grant. There was also a third boy who had begun to visit with them more recently. His name was Antoine, but Leo, in his sweet innocence, called him Annie._

_Snow White and Phillip loved it when the children visited. If there had been no curse, no need for the wardrobe, then they would have definitely wanted to have Skye grow up with those four children. All of them would have been good at keeping an eye on her, and they probably would have been the best of friends to her. But Victoria had ensured that Skye would never grow up with Antoine, Grant, Jemma, or even precious little Leo. Maybe one day, after the curse was broken, their daughter could meet the children who she was supposed to grow up with._

_Blinking away her tears, Snow White smiled at Hansel, Gretel, and Red. "Thank you," she whispered as Skye began to kick again. "I know she'll love it."_

* * *

Present Day

"WHERE IS IT!" screeched Victoria, her rage and fury directed toward the person who was supposed to make sure that when Centipede moved its base, her possessions were supposed to go along with it and not fall into the hands of SHIELD.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" The idiot asked her. It was so tempting to just end him now, but magic was harder here. She didn't want to risk a malfunction in her spell, or have it backfire on herself. Instead, she chose to roll her eyes.

"The book, you fool," Victoria hissed. "There was a book in my desk, in my office at the last base. It's not here!"

"We were in a hurry to get out," the fool whined. "We didn't manage to get everything, and there was a fire in that wing-"

His protests were cut off by Victoria slamming him up against the wall. She leaned in close, her eyes icy cold.

"You better _pray_ that when SHIELD investigates that wreck, they will not find that book, or any evidence that I was ever there. Or I swear, what was done to Poe will be a goddamn picnic compared to what's in store for you.

* * *

"Yes, Jemma," Leopold Fitz mimicked as he trudged down the hallways of the former Centipede base. "Yes, of course I'll go upstairs in this wing, all by my lonesome, to look for evidence while you stay and flirt with Ward while he yells at Skye for doing nothing wrong. Because I'm just that expendable, and you need Trip's help too. And of course, that the upstairs isn't important at all."

As he peered into the rooms lining the sides of the hallway, Leo heaved a sigh as each room came up empty, save for the black scorch marks on the sides of the walls. Three months had gone by since Skye had been shot, and they'd been rough for SHIELD, especially their team. It began two or three weeks after they'd given Skye the GH-325, when Agent Garrett completely disappeared without a trace, and was now presumed dead by SHIELD. A few weeks after that, there'd been a prison break from a SHIELD holding facility, and both Raina and Ian Quinn had been among the escapees. Now, as of last month, Project Centipede had made a major comeback, and was more powerful than ever before. SHIELD kept striking their bases, but they keep only just missing them by mere hours. It felt like a perpetual game of cat and mouse.

However, the team had gained a new member in the form of Antoine Triplett. After Garrett vanished, Coulson had offered him the spare bunk and a spot on the team until they determined what had happened to Garrett. Trip had happily accepted, and fit in quite nicely. He'd become a regular with Ward and Skye in the lab, which was great. There was something oddly familiar though about him when Trip was with him, Ward, and Simmons that Leo could not place. It was as if he'd known the new specialist before SHIELD. But Leo knew he hadn't, or at least he didn't think so.

A beeping from his tablet tore Leo from his thoughts. At the end of the hallway, Grumpy and Happy were hovering about in what must have been an office for the person was in charge of this insane project. They seemed to be detecting something from the smashed remains of what was once a magnificent desk. Leo peered at the scans that the DWARFS were sending in to his tablet. Frowning, he enlarged a certain section and studied it.

It seemed that there was something Centipede had forgotten something of theirs.

Bending down, Leo began to clear away the broken pieces of wood. Once he had removed what might have been the surface of the desk, something peeking out glinted. Curious, Leo continued to pull away more part. At last, the object of his interest was visible. It was a thick, long book with the words _Once Upon A Time_ gleaming on its leather cover. A smile bloomed across the engineer's face.

There were a lot of things that Leopold Fitz, Level 5 engineer and agent of SHIELD liked, such Doctor Who, tinkering about with machines, the Holotable, prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella sandwiches with pesto aioli, Skye. But there was one thing that he enjoyed immensely that very, very few people knew about.

Leo Fitz adored fairytales.

He had always been drawn to them for as long as he could remember. Being that kid who was three levels ahead of everyone else his age in school by the time he was ten had created a lot of jealousy directed toward him. His intelligence made him a target of isolation, but books filled with tales of lost princesses and knights and magic helped him get through those tough times. Something about all the stories just made him feel so right.

Even now, as an adult, Leo retained his appreciation for fairytales. There were a couple books of the classics fairytales from the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Anderson, and even Disney in a stack in his bunk, and it didn't end there. There were also ancient Chinese legends, Greek and Egyptian mythology, practically any story that had been created and was now regarded as an ancient legend was in a book in his stack. Sometimes, he would read them before going to bed, and his drowsy mind would question the existence of another world where fairytale characters actually existed. If Thor and Asgard were real, then maybe the Enchanted Forest and Snow White did as well.

This particular topic was also the one area of friction between himself and Simmons. His best friend was great and everything, but her brain was purely scientific. She couldn't bring herself to let the constant need to question everything around her slip away and permit herself to be immersed in the magic of fairytales without pointing out scientific flaws. That wasn't what they were for! She opposed everything that was fictional, and it frustrated him at times. It had actually been solely his idea to name the DWARFS after the seven in the Snow White tale, while Simmons had been dead set on just calling them numbers. Only after he had shown her the original Disney film were Doc and the others christened by their current names, albeit grudgingly. "You're going to look back on this one day and call it silly, Fitz," she'd grumbled once it was settled.

"Never," he had proclaimed. "Come on, Simmons, you'll like it. It'll grow on you."

Simmons had rolled her eyes and muttered something about him being a child under her breath. But she now actually did call them by their proper names. It made him smile that she was at least willing to accept it finally after so long without needing to rely on a scientific reason for it.

There was something that felt almost magical about the book, but it wasn't in a dangerous, seductive way. More of a comforting, nice and warm feeling, like finding something that ahd been lost. He reached toward the book, and his naked fingers touched the thick, rough-edged parchment of the pages.

What happened next was unexpected, and changed Leo's life forever.

A fiery sensation originated in the spot where his hand grasped the book, and shot up his arm. Leo gritted his teeth to suppress a scream as pain built up inside his skull. The broken bits of the desk and the rest of the room vanished as a flurry of image flew by. It was as if a reel of camera film was being pulled across his face at a very high speed. Voices, muffled whispers and screams echoed around him as he tried to focus in the scenes flashing before him.

Some of them stuck out. A man and a woman in white standing at an altar. Running through a fancy garden as a flash of navy moved out of the way of his vision. Running again down a hallway, and then into a wall of white fabric. A view from above of two girls and boy fighting off men who looked to be wearing armor. The final image he grasped was being huddled up with three other people as green smoke swirled around and consumed them.

Leo's eyes snapped open and he fell backward, still clutching the book. He took a few deep breaths to calm down before crawling back up on his knees. His hand ran over the smooth leather surface of the book.

_What had he seen exactly?_ There was a strange sense of familiarity about the things that he had just experienced, but he didn't know where from. The things that he had seen, they felt so real. It was as though they were memories of something forgotten, most likely when he was two or three if he was judging by how high everything had seemed. But that couldn't be possible. He had a perfectly good memory from that age which had no involvement with weddings or knights or green smoke.

_So why did his memories when he was two and three of the highlands and visiting the next door neighbor's farm now seem so off?_

Sighing, Leo pulled off the satchel he had slung over his shoulder and gently placed the book inside it. No doubt about it, there was something peculiar about this book, and he wanted to look into it alone. If he told Simmons about it, then she write the images off as hallucinations from overwork, and that would be the end of it. No, he needed to know why he had seen those things, and why they felt oddly familiar. There had to be some explanation to it, and he wanted to know about it. And if there wasn't, it still looked like a pretty good book to add to his collection.

Whatever was going on, Leo was going to figure it out what it was.

* * *

**Oooooooo Leo *wiggles eyebrows***

**I think that we all know who Hansel and Red might be, and there's three others thrown in there too. Can you guess them?**

**Please review, and tell me what you think, Dearies!**


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